Skate structure and stop mounting arrangement therefor



July 19, 1966 G. K. WARE 3,261,614

SKATE STRUCTURE AND STOP MOUNTING ARRANGEMENT THEREFOR Filed April 6, 1964 33a, INVENTOR.

United States Patent Office Patented July 19, 1966 Illinois Filed Apr. 6, 1964, Ser. No. 357,461 9 Claims. (Cl. 280-112) The present invention relates broadly to an improved roller skate construction and more particularly relates to an improved roller skate mounting structure for a roller skate toe stop or braking device.

Toe stops are commonly found on roller skates, but their greatest use and application is on roller skates utilized by professional skaters where a simple toe stop device securely mounted on the skate is an absolute necessity. As will be appreciated, the mounting structure of the toe stops on such professional roller skates must, first and foremost, be structurally sound, since the toe stop and the mounting structure must be capable of withstanding extremely great stresses.

The stresses to which the toe stop and its mounting structure are subjected are many and varied depending upon the peculiar characteristics of the skater and the particular type of professional work stressed. Where the skater is a dancer the toe stop must be capable. of abruptly stopping the direction of dance movement and must be capable of withstanding high speed pirouette movements as well as the enormous thrusts required for fast starts. In acrobatic skating, similar stresses act on the toe siop but more frequently and to a greater extent. With racing skating, the fast starts and revolving stops and turns required inflict still different stresses upon the skate.

While the peculiar characteristics of the particular professional skatter using the toe stop vary, it is generally impractical to vary the toe stop and its mounting apparatus dependent on such peculiarities. Hence, one of the objects of this invention is to provide a toe stop mounting apparatus capable of repeatedly withstanding the extreme stresses to which professional skaters may subject a skate toe stop.

The roller skate toe stop generally used is of a resilient, relatively erosible elastomeric material, such as rubber; and it is highly desirable to provide some simple means for adjusting the toe stop vertically after even relatively minor wear since the degree of skater control achieved by use of the toe stop may be very adversely affected by even slight changes in length and configuration of the braking surface. This is because the skater is required to rise up higher on his skates to bring the slightly worn toe stop into braking contact with the skate supporting surface.

While toe stop adjustment means have been provided in prior art roller skate structures, these have been generally inaccessible to the skater himself and have been relatively ditficult to adjust.

Thus, it is a further object of this invention to provide a novel toe stop mounting structure whereby the toe stop may be readily adjusted relative to the skating surface without requiring removal of the skate from the skaters foot.

Another object is to provide such a structure where the skater himself may readily adjust the toe stop by use of a common and readily available tool.

A further object is to provide a novel adjustable metallic mounting structure which is highly resistant to mating or binding of its metal parts.

Still another object is to provide a toe stop mounting structure which is simple in its arrangement, and which does not require additional costly parts.

A further object is to provide such a structure which is suitable for economical manufacture.

Another object is to provide a balanced toe stop mounting structure consistent with structural requirements and which yet provides a streamlined appearance to the viewer.

These and other objects will be revealed in the following specification, appended claims and drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of a roller skate construction made in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of the toe stop mounting arrangement shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of the toe stop mounting arrangement of FIGS. 1-3;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of another embodiment of the invention.

Theroller skate 10 of FIG. 1 of the drawings, embodying the concepts of the present invention, includes a sole plate 12 adapted for attachment to a skaters shoe with rollers 14 mounted on the sole plate in conventional fashion and supported by a skate surface 16.

At the forward part of the skate a toe stop is adjustably mounted inclining downwardly and forwardly of the front of the sole plate.

The toe stop means 20 includes a toe stop or ground engaging body 22 formed of a resilient elastomeric material and having an elongated upwardly extending stud 24 extending outwardly from the ground engaging body. The stud portion has two ends, one end having an enlarged cap 26 fixedly secured within the toe stop; and the other end extending outwardly from the stop for adjusiable positioning on the sole plate and being threaded for its receipt within sole plate mounting means to be hereafter described.

The sole plate 12 is seen to have an enlarged front or toe stop mounting portion 30 adjacent a forward portion of the sole plate which toe stop mounting portion may be, but is not necessarily, integral with the sole plate and has a greatly increased depth over that of the balance of the sole plate since the mounting portion must be capable of firmly holding the toe stop means; and must be capable of absorbing the tremendous shocks imparted to it by the toe stop means.

A downwardly and forwardly inclining centrally positioned internally threaded slot or bore 32 is provided in the toe stop mounting portion 30, the threads being complementary to the threads on the threaded stud 24 and adapted for threaded receipt of the stud.

A pair of generally horizontal rearwardly extending bolt receiving openings 34 are provided in the toe stop mounting portion adapted for receipt of a pair of complementary threaded locking bolts 36, the openings being equally spaced on either side of the bore thus providing a longitudinally balanced symmetrical structure which is better able to withstand the lateral stresses and bending movement to which the mounting portion is subjected.

The toe stop mounting portion is split into two complementary stud holding portions, that is, a first and second relatively shiftable section completely separated from each other, by a downwardly forwardly inclining cutting or splitting plane dividing the mounting portion transversely and forwardly of the bore axis, the cutting plane being positioned generally parallel to the bore axis and dividing the bore portion 32 into two parts. Thus, a rear stud holding portion 42, having a face 43, and a complementary front stud holding portion or closure plate 44 having a face 45 are seen to be formed.

The rear stud holding portion is seen to be relatively much heavier than the closure plate 44 since the rear portion must bear the greatest part of the forces to which use of toe stop means subjects the skate. The face of the .rear stud holding portion, being shaped to define a transverse forwardly declining plane, is better able to withstand the thrust stresses imposed upon it, such as, when the toe stop is used to initiate leaps since the rear stud holding portion face supports the toe stop stud with a relatively greater over-all area for application of reaction forces.

Thus with thrust forces acting on the toe stop, when it is brought into contact with the ground, one element of that force pushes axially upwardly and another element pushes rearwardly. The rear toe stop stud holding portion effectively resists such stresses with a reaction force longitudinally forwardly along the sole plate with one major component of that reaction force acting axially downwardly of the stud. Because of the forwardly inclining face 43, the forward elements of the reaction force are more uniformly applied to the stud to resist shearing of the stud.

While the manner of formation of the first and second relatively shifta-ble sections, that is, the rear stud holding portion and the closure plate, has been described as by a cutting or splitting plane, it should be made clear that the term plane has been used for reference purposes only. Suffice it to say that two complementary stud holding portions are formed regardless whether by actual cutting, machining or casting. Conversely stated, the two complementary faces 43, 45 define a transverse forwardly declining plane generally parallel and forward of the bore axis.

A means is provided for clamping or locking together the rear and front stud holding portion and the stud therebetween; and comprises threaded locking bolts 36 which are positioned in the bolt receiving openings 34 where they are threadedly held in place by a threaded inner portion on the opening 34 within the rear stud holding portion, the bolts thus being conveniently readily accessible from the front of the skate where they may be adjusted by the skater himself without assistance or removal of the skate.

Thrust forces in the initiation of leaps and also in stopping and turning tend to act on the toe stop with a major thrust component acting axially, upwardly of the stud as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1. The relatively great stress acting axially, upwardly of the stud tends to push the stud upwardly and to shear off the stud threads. Components of these stresses acting on the toe stop tend to twist the stud and rotate it out of position. The symmetrically positioned locking bolts resist these lateral twisting and shearing stresses. The bolts are positioned to extend diagonally of the longitudinal axis of the stud and draw the first and second relatively shiftable sections relatively toward each other and against the stud, clamping and wedging the stud between the sections and lock ing the stud against rotation. As is apparent, the inclined faces of the two relatively shiftable sections are drawn wedgingly against the stud and each other by the locking bolts which draw the sections together, the bolts acting diagonally of the faces of the two sections and transversely of the bore axis, preventing movement of the stud.

In another embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 5, like parts are identified by like numeral-s with the addition of the sufiix a for clarity. A toe stop means a is shown mounted on a roller skate sole plate 12a where the toe stop is held fixedly in position between an integrally rear stud holding portion 42a and a complementary detachable closure plate 44a. The complementary faces 43a and 45a of the rear stud holding portion and the closure plate define a substantially vertical cutting or splitting plane 40a transverse to the longitudinal axis of the sole plate and cutting, the threaded bore portion 32a generally diagonally, the rear stud holding portion thus completely enclosing an upper end of the threaded stud with consequent. greater locking support to the stud against rearwardly directed stresses and forming a permanent enclosing threaded lock against axial upwardly directed stud thread shearing forces.

The operation of the improved roller skate toe stop mounting will now be described in detail without numerical reference to the parts for a clearer understanding of the invention.

A threaded stud of a roller skate toe stop device is fixedly secured to the front end of a roller skate sole plate. The front end of the sole plate to which the stud is secured forms a downwardly and forwardly inclining face.

The sole plate face has a central transversely segmented slot having a longitudinal axis running in the same direction and parallel to the longitudinal center line of the sole plate face. The slot is threadedly adapted for receipt of the threaded stud. The front end face in the area adjoining the segmented slot defines a slot which has been segmented forwardly of its axis, resulting in an are greater than degrees.

A detachable closure plate is provided which is segmentally slotted complementary to the front end of the sole plate and has a rear face which is the counterpart of a front face of the sole plate. Thus, the closure plate and the sole plate faces, when fitted together, define between them a threaded slot or stud receiving bore which is positioned centrally of the longitudinal axis of the sole plate and which has an axis which is directed forwardly and downwardly for receipt threadedly of a complementary interfitting threaded stud portion of a toe stop.

Means are provided to lock or clamp the closure plate in position against the forward end of the sole plate with the threaded toe stop stud portion secured in 'between. In one commercial embodiment of the invention, this means comprises a pair of horizontally positioned locking bolts which are inserted into complementary rearwardly extending bolt receiving openings extending through the closure plate and into the forward end of the sole plate.

The bolt receiving openings are equally spaced from the centrally positioned slot, on either side of the slot, with the openings in the sole plate being threaded for receipt of the complementary threaded locking bolts.

When the toe stop is positioned with its threaded stud inserted into the bore as far as desired, the locking bolts are tightened, urging the closure plate into clamping holding engagement with the stud on the toe stop.

In another embodiment of the invention, the complementary faces of the closure plate and the sole plate front end are substantially vertical, the stud receiving threaded bore thus extending diagonally across the faces.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. In a roller skate structure, the combination of a roller supporting sole plate and toe stop means adjustably secured thereto, said toe stop means comprising an elastomeric ground engaging skate breaking body of resilient material having an elongated stud portion fixedly secured within said body with a threaded end extending outwardly therefrom for upwardly inclining receipt within a complementary bore in the sole plate; said sole plate having a downwardly forwardly inclining threaded bore at the forward end of said sole plate and having a rearwardly extending bolt receiving hole spaced on either side of said bore for receipt of locking bolts, said bore being split transversely forwardly of the bore axis by a cutting plane generally parallel to the axis of said bore, said plane dividing said bore into complementary front and rear stud holding portions, said threaded bore being complementary to the threads of said stud and adapted for locking receipt of said stud, said stud being positioned within said bore in a predetermined position; means for adjustably urging the forward stud, holding portion rearwardly into stud holding relationship with said rear stud holding portion, said means comprising a pair of threaded locking bolts adapted for receipt into the pair of rearwardly extending bolt receiving holes, the portions of the holes in the sole plate rearwardly of the cutting plane being threaded complementary to the locking bolts whereby on insertion of the bolts threadedly into the stud holding portions with the stud positioned therebetween, the forward stud holding portion is urged rearwardly against the stud and the rear stud holding portion until the stud is locked firmly in position.

2. In a roller skate structure, the combination of a sole plate and toe stop means adjustably secured thereto; said toe stop means comprising an elastomeric ground engaging body having an elongated stud with a cap at one end and a threaded portion at the other, the cap end of the stud being fixedly secured within said body with the threaded end extending outwardly therefrom; said sole plate being longitudinally extending and having an integral stud holding forward end of relatively deeper section than the balance of the sole plate, said sole plate having a forwardly declining threaded bore portion centrally positioned in the stud holding portion and being divided into two complementary forward and rear stud holding portions by a generally upright transverse splitting plane cutting the bore diagonally, said threaded bore being complementary to the threads of said stud and adapted threadedly for locking receipt of said stud; and means for urging the forward stud holding portion rearwardly into stud holding relationship with said rear stud holding portion.

3. In a roller skate, the combination of a sole plate and a toe stop means adjustably secured thereto, said toe stop means comprising a ground engaging braking body of resilient material and an elongated threaded stud having one end fixedly secured within said braking body and a threaded end extending outwardly therefrom; said sole plate having a forward end of relatively greater depth than the balance of the plate, said forward end having a longitudinally extending downwardly inclining slotted stud receiving portion, said slotted portion being transversely and forwardly vertically segmented and being adapted for receipt of said threaded stud end; a closure plate having a transversely and rearwardly segmented slotted portion complementary to the slotted portion of said sole plate said slotted stud receiving portion being internally threaded and threadedly adjustably receiving said threaded stud end clampingly therebetween; means for moving said closure plate into clamping engagement with said slotted portion and the threaded stud to fixedly secure the threaded stud portion against movement; and means for moving said closure plate forwardly for vertical adjustment of said toe stop means.

4. In a roller skate, the com-bination of a sole plate and a toe stop means adjustably secured thereto, said combination comp-rising: toe stop means comprising a ground engaging braking body of resilient material and an elongated stud portion having one end fixedly secured within said braking body and a threaded end extending outwardly therefrom and adapted for receipt threadedly within a complementary slotted portion in a sole plate; said sole plate having a transversely and forwardly declining segmented slotted stud receiving portion at its forward end and integral therewith; a closure plate having a transversely and rearwardly segmented slotted portion complementary to the slotted portion of said sole plate, the segment of said stud receiving portion being greater than 180 degrees, said slotted stud receiving portion and the closure plate being internally threaded to threadedly receive said threaded stud clampingly therebetween; means for advancing and retarding said closure plate horizontally rearwardly and forwardly into and out of clamping engagement with said stud receiving portion and the threaded stud to alternately, fixedly secure the threaded stud portion against movement and to release said closure plate for inclining vertical adjustment of said toe stop means.

5. In a roller skate, the combination of a roller supporting sole plate and toe stop adjustably secured thereto, said toe stop comprising a ground engaging braking body of resilient material and an elongated threaded stud having one cap end fixedly secured within said braking body and having a threaded end extending outwardly therefrom; said sole plate having a forwardly declining, and forwardly segmented slotted stud receiving portion at the forward end of the plate and integral therewith; a closure plate having a rearwardly segmented slotted portion complementary to the slotted portion of said sole plate, the segment of said stud receiving portion defining an are greater than degrees and the segment of said closure plate defining an arc complementally less than 180 degrees, and locking means for moving said closure plate horizontally into and out of clamping engagement with the stud and stud receiving portion to fixedly secure the threaded stud portion against movement.

6. In a roller skate, the combination of a sole plate and a toe stop means adjustably secured thereto, said toe stop comprising a ground engaging braking body of resilient material and an elongated stud having one end fixedly secured within said braking body and a threaded end extending outwardly therefrom; said sole plate having a forwardly declining transversely and forwardly segmented slotted stud receiving portion at the forward end of the sole plate and integral therewith; a closure plate having a transversely and rearwardly segmented slotted portion complementary to the slotted portion of said sole plate, said segmented stud receiving portion and said closure plate being internally threaded to threadedly receive said threaded stud clampingly therebetween; means for moving said closure plate horizontally rearwardly into clamping engagement with said stud receiving portion and the threaded stud positioned thcrebetween to secure the threaded stud end against movement; and means for moving said closure plate forwardly for vertical adjustment of said threaded stud portion and toe stop means between the stud receiving portion and the closure plate, said means for moving said closure plate horizontally rearwardly and forwardly comprising a pair of generally horizontal threaded locking bolts, one being positioned on either side of the slot defined by the stud receiving portion and the closure plate; and two spaced apart bolt receiving openings, one on either side of the slot, said openings extending rearwardly from the forward portion of said closure plate and continuing into the stud receiving portion, said openings in the stud receiving portion being threaded for receipt of said locking bolts threadedly therein and being in line with the closure plate openings, said threaded bolts being inserted into the closure plate and threadedly into the stud receiving portion with the braking body threaded stud end positioned therebetween in predetermined position, whereby the stud end is locked clampingly in position between the stud receiving portion and the closure plate.

7. In a roller skate having a sole plate, the combination comprising a toe stop mounting means adjacent a forward portion of the sole plate, said means having an internally threaded bore therein, said means having first and second relatively shiftable sections completely separated from each other along a plane intersecting said bore; toe stop means including a threaded stud extending into said bore; and means acting in a direction extending diagonally and partially axially of a longitudinal axis of said stud drawing said first and second sections relatively toward each other and relatively axially of said bore and against said stud for clamping and wedging said stud between said sections and locking said stud against rotation.

8. In a roller skate having a sole plate the combination comprising a toe stop mounting means adjacent a forward portion of the sole plate, said means having an internally threaded bore therein extending generally downwardly and forwardly of the longitudinal axis of said mounting means, said means having first and second relatively shiftable sections completely separated from each other along the plane intersecting said bore; toe stop means including a threaded stud extending into said bore; and bolt means extending and acting in a direction extending diagonally and partially axially of a longitudinal axis of said stud drawing said first and second sections relatively toward each other and relatively axially of said bore and against said stud for clamping and wedging said stud between said sections and locking said stud against rotation.

9. In a roller skate having a sole plate, the combination comprising a toe stop mounting means adjacent a forward portion of the sole plate, said means having an internally threaded bore therein, said means having first and second relatively shiftable sections completely separated from each other by an inclined plane intersecting said bore forwardly of said bore axis and generally parallel to said bore axis; toe stop means including a threaded stud extending into said bore; and means acting in a direction extending diagonally and partially axially of a longitudinal axis of said stud drawing said first and second sections relatively toward each other and relatively axially of said bore and against said stud for clamping and wedging said stud between said sections and locking said stud against rotation.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner.

MILTON L. SMITH, Examiner. 

1. IN A ROLLER SKATE STRUCTURE, THE COMBINATION OF A ROLLER SUPPORTING SOLE PLATE AND TOE STOP MEANS ADJUSTABLY SECURED THERETO, SAID TOE STOP MEANS COMPRISING AN ELASTOMERIC GROUND ENGAGING SKATE BREAKING BODY OF RESILIENT MATERIAL HAVING AN ELONGATED STUD PORTION FIXEDLY SECURED WITHIN SAID BODY WITH A THREADED END EXTENDING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM FOR UPWARDLY INCLUDING RECEIPT WITHIN A COMPLEMENTARY BORE IN THE SOLE PLATE; SAID SOLE PLATE HAVING A DOWNWARDLY FORWARDLY INCLINING THREADED BORE AT THE FORWARD END OF SAID SOLE PLATE AND HAVING A REARWARDLY EXTENDING BOLT RECEIVING HOLE SPACED ON EITHER SIDE OF SAID BORE FOR RECEIPT OF LOCKING BOLTS, SAID BORE BEING SPLIT TRANSVERSELY FORWARDLY OF THE BORE AXIS BY A CUTTING PLANE GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF SAID BORE, SAID PLANE DIVIDING SAID BORE INTO COMPLEMENTARY FRONT AND REAR STUD HOLDING PORTIONS, SAID THREADED BORE BEING COMPLEMENTARY TO THE THREADS OF SAID STUD AND ADAPTED FOR LOCKING RECEIPT OF SAID STUD, SAID STUD BEING POSITIONED WITHIN SAID BORE IN A PREDETERMINED POSITION; MEANS FOR ADJUSTABLY URGING THE FORWARD STUD HOLDING PORTION REARWARDLY INTO STUD HOLDING RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID REAR STUD HOLDING PORTION, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF THREADED LOCKING BOLTS ADAPTED FOR RECEPT INTO THE PAIR OF REARWARDLY EXTENDING BOLT RECEIVING HOLES, THE PORTIONS OF THE HOLES IN THE SOLE PLATE REARWARDLY OF THE CUTTING PLANE BEING THREADED COMPLEMENTARY TO THE LOCKING BOLTS WHEREBY ON INSERTION OF THE BOLTS THREADEDLY INTO THE STUD HOLDING PORTIONS WITH THE STUD POSITIONED THEREBETWEEN, THE FORWARD STUD HOLDING PORTION IS URGED REARWADLY AGAINST THE STUD AND THE REAR STUD HOLDING PORTION UNTIL THE STUD IS LOCKED FIRMLY IN POSITION. 